Elevator.



Patented' Aug. 8, |899.

W. F. SMITH.

E L E V A T 0 R.

(Application led Max. 17, 1899.)

fig. 1.

(No Modet.)

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/// l 7 O v No. 630,4I7. Patented Aug. 8, |899. W. F.' SMITH.

ELEVATUR.

(Application led Knr. 17, 1899.) 4 (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Figa @gg E IIUIMH UNITED STATE-s 4PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM F. SMITH, OF ORIPPLE CREEK, COLORADO.

i ELEVATOR.

sPEoiFIoA'rIoN forming partof Letters -Patent No. 630,417, dated Augusts, 1899.

Application filed March 17,1899. Serial No. 709.506,. (No model.)

To all whom', t may conoci/'72,:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. SMITH, a citizen of the'United States,residing at Cripple Creek, in the county of El Paso and State o fColorado, have invented a new and useful Elevator, of which thefollowing is a specification. Y

This invention relates to elevators,and more especially to means forautomatically con'-V trolling the gates thereof which close the openingsin the shaft, the object being to provide simple and quickly-operatingmechanism controlled automatically by the elevator-car as the lattertravels up and down in the well for locking the gates in their open andclosed positions, respectively, and for also releasing said gates whenthe car passes above or below certain levels or iioors.

In .the present case I combine with a shaft or analogous structurehaving an elevator car or cage therein a gate closing an opening in theshaft, devices for locking the elevator in its openV and closedpositions, respectively, and means controlled by the elevator foroperating said locking devices to eect the release of the gate, wherebythe latter ,can ber opened or shut, and by reason of this organi'-zation the gate will be maintained shut or closed at all times, exceptwhen the car or cage reaches a predetermined point, so that a personcannot walk into the shaft or well or in the case of a mine an ore-caror similar device cannot be pushed through the opening and into theshaft, as in cases of this kind serious injuries always occur. In thepresent case I prefer to employ a mechanically-closable gate incontradistinction to one that is shut or swung to by hand, as in thisconstruction I secure very quick action, which is an importantdesideratum, and a spring constitutes a simple and convenient means forthus operating the gate.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combinationof elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated theVpreferred 'embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in Which- Figure l is a perspective viewof an elevator-shaft, a car therein, and gate-controlling mechanismconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isa front elevationof a portion of the shaft and the gate, the latter being shut. Fig. 3 isa transverse central section of the same with a portion of one of theuprights removed to show the latch that locks the gate closed. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section on the line 4 4, Fig. 2,and showing the gate in itsclosed and open positions by full and dotted lines, respectively. Fig. 5is a detail in front elevation of a portion of the elevator, showing thetwo latch-trips thereon. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

Like characters denote like and corresponding parts in each of theseveral iigures of the drawings.

In the drawings, A represents the shaft or framework of an elevatingapparat us in which the car or cage B is suitably supported forascending and descending movements, respectively, in the well-knownmanner, and 2 `indicates a sill or beam constituting a part of theframework and the upper edge of which is;A opposite Athe floor 3 of abuilding, and the opening between the uprights 4 and 5 of the frameworkor shaft adjacent to the horizontal sill 2 is normally protected -byagate C, which may be of any suitable construction and which when in itsclosed position, as indicated in Fig. 1,'fits against the outer faces ofthe upriglits 4 and 5. Said gate, which may be of any suitableconstruction or material, is hinged at some suitable points in itsheight to the upright 4, the superposed hinges 6 and 7, of ordinaryconstruction, being illustrated for this purpose.

The gate,as hereinbefore set f orth,is locked, respectively, in its openandA closed positions by the latches D and D', respectively, and exceptin the particulars hereinafter specified these latches may be of anysuitable character capable of securing the peculiar action accompanyingthe invention. The latch D is supported within a recess 8 in the upright5, which recess may be covered by the plate 9, serving as a guard andsecured tothe upright, and the working end of this latch is shouldered,as at l0, which shouldered portion works in the notch or aperture l2formed in the framing of the gate, and the latter has IOC) upper side ofthe latch near the rear end of the latter, and the lower end of thespring being free and bearing against the inner side of the upright 5 ata point below the level of which bears against the inner face ofth'ere-j cess 17, the outward motion of the spring' actuated latch beinglimited by the stop orL bar 20, secured at its `ends to the upright 4vthe floor. The operation is such that when the gate C is nearly closedthe beveled face 14 of the offset 13 will come in contact with theshouldered end 10 of the latch and will as',

the gate advances raise said shouldered end,

so that when the gate reaches its fully-closed Y position theshoulder 10can be forced over the odset 13 by the spring 15. It will be evidentthat pressure upon the spring 15 atany pointin its length will press thesame inward toward the upright 5,'whereby the latch D' willbe lifted andthe shoulder 10 thereon carrried clear of lthe offset or lug 13, wherebythe' gate can be opened. In this connection it will be apparent that theyspring is-in the na ture of 'a trip device, and it will be preferablyoperated by the floor or platform 16 of the car as the latter is raisedor lowered in itsr shaft.

The latch D for lookin g the gate open is pivoted in the recess 17 ofthe sill 2 and has a rearward stroke into the recess 18 in the up-`right 4. The latch Dl is movable on a hori' zontal axis above the sill2, while the latch DI is sustained by said'sill and is movable upon avertical axis.

The latch D is maintained in its `effective position by the spring 19,one end of whichl issecured thereto and the opposite end of andAextending 'across the recess 18.

The working end of the latch D is provided cured to the under side ofthe gate Gand projects for some distance thercbeyond.

21 is beveled, as at 24. When the gate C is opened and has nearlyreached its wide-open position, the end of the latch will extend`Vthrough the Vopening 22, so that the'rear wall of said opening by ridingalong the beveled spring 19.

the elevator can be employed, the drum 25 connected with a suitablemotive power` (not shown) beingillustrated for this purpose, 'and thedrum 25 is Asecured to theshaft 26, supported'by suitable bearings uponthe framework, and it has wound thereon the cable 27 the end of which isconnected with the upper side of the car.

As a means for closing the gate quickly I prefer to employ the coiledspring 28, secured at one end to the upright 4 and at its opposite endto the gateC, near one corner of the latter, although, of course, anequivalent device can be employed for this purpose. When the gate iswide open and is held in such position by the latch D, it will beevident that 'the vspring 28 is under compression. Vhen said latch istripped to carry the shoulder or hook 21 thereon out of engagement withthe plate 23, the gate will be released and will be instantly shut bythe relaxing coiled spring'.

28, and when it reaches its closed position it will be locked by theaction of the latch D in the manner hereinbefore described. Theelevator-car as it rises and falls serves by engaging the bowed spring15 to compress said spring, thereby lifting the latch D', so that whensaid car passes out of contact with the spring the latter will serve tothrow the latch intoits operative position, and the floor 1G of the carservesto thus operate the spring.

For the purpose of tripping the latch D the superposed trips 29 and 30are provided, these being of bowshape and being secured to the forwardside of the car in such position as to engage the pivoted latch Dat apoint beyond the fulcrum of the latter, and the disposition -of thepart-s is such that the working period of the lspring or trip device 15is intermediate the working periodsof the two trips 29 and 30.

It will be assumed that the gateC is closed and'held shut by the pivotedlatch D engaging the same and that the elevator-car is risingfromtheposition shownin Fig. 1. When said car nearly reaches the level ofthe door, the trip 29 will strike the latch D and force the sameoutward, and at about the time the y level of the floor 3 is reached bythe car-floor with a shoulder or hook 21 and is project` able throughthe opening 22, located near the rear or free `end of the plate 2S,which is se-i `elevated for the purpose of releasing the gate C. Thegate may then be swung wide open 1 by hand until the plate 23 thereon isengaged The working face `of the shoulder or hook by the latch D for thepurpose of locking said gateopen. At this time it will be observed thatthe trips 29 and 30 are located respectively above and below the `latchD, so that in case the elevator is either raised or lowered one of saidtrips will strike Vand operate the latch for the purpose vof releasingthe gate, which will be instantly'shut by the coiled spring 28.

From the foregoing description it will be yevident that I provide simplemeans for lock- 1 ing the gate in its two extreme positions and Anyconvenient mechanism for operating for automatically effecting therelease of same when in either of said positions by means controlled bythe car Aor cage B. It will be evident also that the trips 29 and 30 andspring 19 are disposed in dierent positions horizontally and are locatedat opposite IOO IIC

sides of the shaft, so as to secure the proper action of these part-s.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended `claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In an apparatusof the class described, the combination with a shaft, having a lateralopenin g, and an elevator-car in said shaft, of a laterally-swinginggate closing said opening, means for mechanically closing the gate, ahorizontally-disposed sp rin g-actuated latch, having its freeshouldered end projecting beyond one side of the shaft and adjacent tothe hinged side of the gate, and adapted to engage and hold the latterin its open p0- sition, 'and a trip carried by the elevator-car andadapted to release the latch, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination with a shafthaving a lateral opening, and an elevator-car therein, of alaterally-swinging gate hinged to the shaft and closing the lateralopening therein, means for mechanically closing the gate, ahorizontallydisposed spring-actuated latch carried bythe inner side ofthe shaft, and having its free shouldered end projecting beyond one sideof the shaft and adjacent to the hinged side of the gate, a platecarried by the gate and projecting beyond the hinged side thereof, andprovided with a slot adapted to receive the free end of the latch andthereby hold the gate open, and a trip carried by the elevatorcar andadapted to disengage the latch, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an apparatus of the class specified, thecolnbination with a shaftvhaving a lateral opening therein, and an elevator-car'located withinthe shaft, of a laterally-swinging gate hinged to the shaft and closingthe lateral opening therein, and provided in its inner face and near itsfree side with a notch having an inwardly and upwardly extending lug oroffset located at the lower side of the notch, a vertically-movablelatch mounted upon the shaft and having its shouldered free end adaptedto be lifted by the keeper; and engaged therewith, and a bowed springconnected to the opposite end of the latch and having its free endslidably engaging the inner side of the shaft, and located within thepath of the elevator-car, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination with a shafthaving a lateral opening, and an elevator-car located within the shaft,of a gate closing said opening,

means for mechanically closing the gate, a vertically-movable latchcarried by the shaft,- located within the path of the elevator-car, andadapted to lock the gate in its closed position, a horizontally-movablelatch carried by the shaft and adapted to hold the gate in its openposition, and a pair of trips carried by the elevator-car and adapted tosuccessively operate the horizontally-disposed latch, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

5. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination with a shafthaving an opening, of an elevator-car in said shaft, a gate closing saidopening, a spring connected with the gate and with the shaft, a slottedplate secured to the gate, aspring-actuated latch projectible throughthe slot in said plate and adapted to engage the latter, and a tripconnected with the elevator for operating said latch, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

IVM. F. SMITH.

Witnesses: D. MACMASTER,

J. L. SMITH.

